WestCon Tribune

February 2002

February News

New Members

December Construction Activity Slips 1%

Upcoming Events

New Members

Westcon is pleased to welcome the following new members:

Alan Block is a general contractor and a home inspector who has logged in over 4000 inspections in his sixteen years of practice. He is a past President of ASHI American Society of Home Inspectors and is located in Berkeley.

Tom Moreno is a general contractor with Draeger Construction Inc.. Draeger Construction started twenty years ago doing insurance repairs for water and fire damage in occupied homes and businesses. They have now expanded their business to include a new division for condominium retrofits and maintenance of existing buildings.

Robert Mault of E.I.F.S. Inspection & Forensic Services is located in Marin County. Mr. Mault’s specialties are Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems, exterior claddings and waterproofing.

Danielle Hashem, an architect, joins Westcon as an associate member of the Grossmann Design Group. The Grossmann Design Group focuses on building renovations and has significant experience in the development of design documents for the reconstruction and repair of multi-family residential properties. The firm surveys existing conditions to identify construction deficiencies and  specializes in coordinating all aspects of work and monitoring progress at all stages of the project.

December Construction Activity Slips 1%; Annual Total for 2001

Reaches $485.2 Billion, Up 3%

The value of new construction starts in December dropped 1% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $479.9 billion, according to the F.W. Dodge Division of the McGraw-Hill Companies. Nonresidential building fell back after its improved pace in November, while gains were reported for housing and public works. For all of 2001, total construction advanced 3% to $485.2 billion, marking the tenth straight year of expansion. The 3% increase followed growth of 5% in 2000 and 11% in 1999.

For the full year 2001, nonresidential building was down 4% to 165.8 billion. The largest declines were reported for offices, down 22%; hotels, down 21%; and warehouses, down 15%. After a very strong 2000, the demand for office space was dampened by the dot-com correction, as a substantial amount of sublease space was put back on the market. The decline for office construction was especially pronounced in those cities that benefitted from the high-tech boom, such as Washington DC, Seattle, San Jose, and Dallas. Development was also limited by tighter bank lending standards, and after September 11 projects were re-evaluated with regard to security and insurance concerns. Stores and shopping center in 2001 posted a comparatively moderate decline of 9%, with the downward trend cushioned by greater construction activity from the more successful retail chains.

For the full year 2001, nonbuilding construction climbed 14% to 103.4 billion. The public works categories rose 6%, with highways and bridges (the largest  segment) up 4%. Water supply systems grew 11%, and the “miscellaneous” public works category was up 20%, helped by the start earlier in the year of a $1.6 billion natural gas pipeline running from Alabama across the Gulf of Mexico to Florida. The nonbuilding total in 2001 received its biggest push from electric utility construction (comprised mostly of power plants), with the level of electric utility starts rising 59% to $21.2 billion. Power plant construction was especially strong in those states with deregulation programs in effect, notably Texas and California.

UPCOMING EVENTS

CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION

LAW CONFERENCE

February 14 & 15, 2002

Holiday Inn at Fisherman’s Wharf

Phone: (800) 826-7155

This intermediate-level conference is designed for attorneys, architects, engineers and construction professionals.

CSI Pro Fair

“Providing the Tools to Build”

Wednesday, March 13, 2002

3:00 to 7:00pm

California College of Arts and Crafts

1111 8th Street, San Francisco

Solving Water Intrusion and Mold Problems in California

March 20, 2002

Hotel Monaco, 501 Geary Street

San Francisco

Phone: (715) 833-3959

www.lorman.com

This  seminar provides information and stratagies that can help solve water intrusion and mold problems and will present a comprehensive approach for solving failed building envelope systems by experienced professionals in architecture, industrial hygiene, construction defect law, and construction repair. *Westcon members Rich Avelar, AIA and Jon Bacon are two of the keynote speakers of this event.

Solving Water Intrusion and Mold Problems in California

March 21, 2002

County of Alameda Conference Center

125 12th Street, Oakland

Phone: (715) 833-3959

www.lorman.com

This is generally the same as the seminar mentioned above, but in the East Bay with a different panel of speakers.

Structural Condition of Assessment of Existing Structures

April 4-5, 2002

Holiday Inn Fisherman’s Wharf

San Francisco

Phone: (800) 942-7348

For all building industry professionals involved in evaluating concrete, masonry, wood and steel, destructive and nondestructive testing; inspecting; conducting structural condition assessment; repair; and restoration of existing structures.

IDEAS? If you would like to give a presentation to Westcon, or have ideas or topics you would like discussed, please notify Fred Field, Program Director at (415) 485–5882. All suggestions are welcome!

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